Cold failures to feed with Tula .223

[briansmithwins]

So, I had my wife's AR (middy BCM) out last week to zero a new optic. That went perfectly fine until I switched to my favorite blasting ammo, Tula 62gr. Every round failed to be picked up by the bolt going forward. Ejection was fine but I had a empty chamber after every shot.

Weather was cold (for Portland) at 34 degrees, rifle was well lubed with CLP, and the same lot of Tula worked perfectly fine when the temp was higher.

I've never actually seen ammo/gun fail like that strictly due to temp.

BSW

 

[MachIVshooter]

In my experience, Tula is on the weak side, pretty borderline in some guns. It usually runs ok for me, but I've had some lots that would induce the condition you describe in my 12.5" BCM upper and, even though they ran OK in my 16" Armalite middy, they were too weak to lock the bolt on empty. This was with 55 gr. Oddly, never an issue in the 7.5" (mutt upper), but that could be attributable to the Noveske KX3 doing it's job quite well. Both the BCM upper and the Armalite have Troy Claymore brakes.

I have never actually chronographed Tula, but I suspect it's a good bit slower than other stuff.

 

[wally]

I've always had to set the gas regulator to the "dirty" position with my MSAR, SIG, and piston ARs using the 62gr Russian ammo, the 55gr stuff has always worked on the normal setting, so I'm not totally surprised by your experience. Cold will make your lube thicken so if your run your ARs wet that could also be a factor.

Doesn't get cold enough around here for me to have much experience with cold related problems.

 

[gotboostvr]

i put about 2k of the .55 gr Tula through my old BCM middy. Didn't have any problems to speak of even around 0 degrees.

 

[bfoosh006]

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/#cycling

Excellent comparison between brass v. steel cased ammo ( IMHO the best I have ever seen ).....They had problems with the Tula and Brown Bear .....along with increased wear on the barrel and extractor.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Tula .223 doesn't work good at all in my Mini 14. It will eject, but never gets the bolt back far enough to strip the next cartridge out of the mag. Apparently the pressure curve on Tula ammunition is too rapid, and it lacks sufficient pressure to cycle the bolt fully by the time the bullet reaches the gas port. Only ammunition I've ever had trouble with out of my Mini.

 

[TwoEyedJack]

My PSA A2 upper does not function well with Tula 55 gr. It works OK with the 75 gr. loads. The 55 gr. Herters from Cabelas doesn't work either. It seems too weak.

 

[benEzra]

What weight buffer are you using? Might try a step or two lighter if you're running an H2 or something.

 

[briansmithwins]

It has a standard carbine buffer. The rifle works 100% with my normal .223 plinking ammo (PMC 55gr and Fiocchi 62gr) as well as with the hotter 5.56 stuff. I'm not screwing around with it to get it to run Tula when it's cold.

My surprise was mostly because this rifle has always run 100% since it was first built. Even the Tula functions perfectly when the weather is warmer.

BSW